Electric devices require electric power in order to function, and electrical power delivery systems of many descriptions have been developed for the purpose of delivering such power. Electrical power delivery systems include wall outlets, wall adapters, power strips, and surge protectors that deliver electric power in the form of alternating current (AC). Wall outlets are perhaps the oldest of the mentioned systems, but wall outlets typically provided no more than two electrical power outlets. At least part of the motivation for the development of wall adapters, power strips, and/or surge protectors was the provision of multiple electrical power outlets in the same space or area where there originally were only one or two. It is now quite common for a wall outlet, perhaps a wall outlet near a computer desk, for example, to have plugged into it a power strip or the like, whereby a single electrical power outlet supplies power to as many as twelve or more electrical power outlets in the surge protector.
Existing surge protectors, power strips, wall adapters, and the like work well as far as the provision of multiple electrical power outlets is concerned, but in other ways they are less than ideal, including their use of space and their cord management abilities. Accordingly, there exists a need for an electrical power delivery system that is neat and compact, easy to use, and allows cables and cords to be managed.
For simplicity and clarity of illustration, the drawing figures illustrate the general manner of construction, and descriptions and details of well-known features and techniques may be omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the invention. Additionally, elements in the drawing figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention. The same reference numerals in different figures denote the same elements.
The terms “first,” “second,” “third,” “fourth,” and the like in the description and in the claims, if any, are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a particular sequential or chronological order. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments of the invention described herein are, for example, capable of operation in sequences other than those illustrated or otherwise described herein. Furthermore, the terms “comprise,” “include,” “have,” and any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is not necessarily limited to those elements, but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.
The terms “left,” “right,” “front,” “back,” “top,” “bottom,” “over,” “under,” and the like in the description and in the claims, if any, are used for descriptive purposes and not necessarily for describing permanent relative positions. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments of the invention described herein are, for example, capable of operation in other orientations than those illustrated or otherwise described herein. The term “coupled,” as used herein, is defined as directly or indirectly connected in an electrical, mechanical, or other manner.